Improvement in piano-forte actions



J. H. TIBBITS. PIANOFORTE ACTION.

No. 48,741. Patented July 11, 1865.

705.9%@ /wu/tm/ @D UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

JONATHAN H. TIBBITS, OE OMAHA, NEBRASKA TERRl'lORY.l

IMPROVEMENTIN PIANO-FORTE ACTIONS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 48,741, dated July 11, 1865.

To all whom 'it may concern Be it known that Ldonn'rnnn HTrBBrrs, of'Omaha city, in the county of Douglas and Territory of Nebraska, have invented a new v and useful Improvement in Piano-Forte Acpart 0f this specification.v

The present invention relates to a new and useful improvement vin piano-forte actions,

which consists'in the use of a wheel so connected with the hammer through its stem that when the hammer has struck the strings it is sufficiently rotated as to instantly relieve the same therefrom, falling back to its original position, in readiness to be again impelled against the strings by the key. Herelofore this relief 0f the hammer has been accomplished by what is commonly denominated by. pianoforte manufacturers as an escapement that is, the pieces interposed between the key andthe hammer-stem, and through which the hammer isimpelled'a gainst the strings,are disconnected, the device in contact with hammerstemsliding oi or escaping therefrom-the great objections to which are that the parts soon wear out fromthe friction and constantly require repairing, and, besides, are uncertain in operation but by my improvement there is no wear 0f tbe parts from friction, and conse-A quently repairs are unnecessary, and a more free and perfect working action thus secured. In the accompanying plate of drawings my improvement is-repr'esented, Figure l being a side view, and Fig. 2a transverse vertical section.

a a inthe accompanying drawings represent the key-board, made int-he usual manner.

b brepresent the key, moving on guide-pins c and d; f, the back'catch on rear end of key b. To key b, at point g, is securely fastened in any proper manner a short upright standard, hin upper end of which,turningon a pivot, l, is a lever, m, to the longer arm or stem a of which, at its louter end, the hammer '0 is secured, and to the outer end of shorter arm p, by a pivot, q, a vertical rod,` 1', is attached or hung at its upper end by a pivot,s, to the vertical wheel or disk t, at or near its periphery, turning upon its axis ina short vertical standard,c, secured to the lower side of rail fw.

On thehammer-stem n, atany suitable point between hammer o and fulcrum l, is a project.- ing iiprlght, rv, through which,1 in.` a direction toward the rod r, is passed-a screw, y, susceptible of adjustment with regard to the said rod r at pleasure. Attached to rod r, and extending and fastened to the upright .'10, is a spiral spring, z.

Having thus described the parts composing the action and the manner in which the same are connected together, I will now proceed to describe their operation.

Striking and depressing the outer end,a, of the key bA with the finger, the inner end, b', of the saine is lifted, and through its standard h, .to which the hammer-stein is hun g, lifting the hammer and impelling it against the' strings, and when it has struck the same relieving it therefrom by the abutment of the regulating screw y against the connecting-rod r, turning on its lower pivot, q, and revolving the wheel or disk t in the direction represented by the arrow in Fig. 1. In the upward movements of the standard h by the key the wheel is prevented from being revolved by a pin, c', bearing against the adjustable screw f of the standard c, and there securely held until the action of the'regulatin g screw above described by the tension of the spiral spring.

From the above description it is evident that l have produced an action in which there is no escapement, no frictionof parts caused by one surface moving or sliding over another, which soon causes wear, and consequently a great expense in repairs, the disadvantages of which have long been evident to all conversant with pianoactions.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- The use in piano forteV actions of a rotating wheelarranged and operating substantially as and for the purpose specified.

JONATHAN H. TIBBITS.

Witnesses:

v J. R. MEREDITH, GEO. W DOANE. 

